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Suspect arrested for arson after North Hills trash fire
No injuries were reported and no structures were threatened.
LOS ANGELES - A suspect is in police custody and will be charged with arson following a trash fire at a homeless encampment in North Hills on Monday.
What we know:
The fire was reported around 7:36 a.m. in the 9200 block of Langdon just north of Nordhoff, in an empty lot that was reportedly being used as a homeless encampment.
According to police, the incident began when a suspect, who was said to be living there, started the fire.
Responding firefighters and police were initially met with reports of explosions believed to be fireworks, but no explosives were found.
According to police, the explosions were coming from a 5' deep hole where people living in the encampment had been throwing their garbage.
Authorities said the fire had ignited the garbage in the hole, causing the explosions.
A suspect was taken into custody and is expected to be charged with arson, police said.
No injuries were reported, and no structures were threatened.
No evacuations were necessary, police said.
The Source: The information in this report is based on statements from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and other Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). Details about the cause of the fire, the suspect's arrest, and the events at the scene are all attributed to official sources from the scene.